Subterra Heart

Chapter 25: Marina Ritty

Flores Greens was an old sub-city. Older than most, and stranger than most. That is what Marina had always been told. And the sub-city was no stranger to disappearances. In her head, Marina knew this. But being aware and being prepared were two very different things. She had never truly expected her little sister to go missing. Nor was she prepared to face the reality of it.

By now, Tess had been gone for nearly five days. The authorities hadn't started looking for her until a full day after she'd missed Bug's vet appointment. Marina paced back and forth across her kitchen, biting her nails. She hadn't been in to work since day two after Tess went missing. Uncle Fred had asked her to close Ritty's Pharmacy until further notice. Together, she and her family had canvassed nearly the entirety of Flores Greens. They'd gone door-to-door, asking for any news about Tess's whereabouts until the very tired police chief had asked them to stop. They had to wait. Marina, however, did not appreciate being told to wait. She needed to do something. And if she could not address the situation directly, the next best thing to do would be to preoccupy herself.

No more pacing. Marina leaned against her kitchen sink. She stopped biting her nails and furrowed her brow. A single, curled lock of hair fell across her forehead. If she must wait for news of her sister, then what else could she do?

Connor's parlin?

Marina straightened up. Of course! Connor had promised to return for his full prescription refill, and that stubborn man still hadn't come back! In fact, when Uncle Fred had reached out to their clients to notify them of the pharmacy's closure, he had been unable to contact Connor. Marina bit her nails again. Connor should have ordered enough parlin to get him through the next few days, but here was yet another thing to worry her. She gave a disgusted sigh and strode towards her door. Tess was being dealt with. Tess would be found. She would be alive and fine, and had probably just gotten lost taking a short-cut down some access tunnel. Marina had to reassure herself of this. She couldn't afford to think further on the matter of her sister.

She'd had her hand on the doorknob and was ready to leave her apartment when, for some silly reason, Marina paused and looked down. She was still wearing the same fluffy slippers and rumpled grey dress that she'd had on for the past two days. Marina released the doorknob as if it had suddenly become quite hot. She couldn't meet a customer in this state! And she was particularly keen to avoid having Connor see her like this. She must first get dressed. There. That was yet another thing to do. It was something to keep her busy.

It took Marina mere minutes to don a new, clean dress – dusty blue this time – and a bit of dark lipstick. Detangling her curls could wait, so she tucked her hair under a kerchief, slipped on a pair of low grey pumps, and out the door she went. She had never visited Connor's apartment, so Ritty's Pharmacy would have to be her first stop. His address should be kept on file somewhere on their datalog.

The hall that she strode down was quiet. Marina was an early riser, and the time was only 04:15. The hall lights were still dim, and the only sound to be heard were her heels clicking rapidly across the floor tiles. It took very little time to arrive at her family's pharmacy.

It was a strange feeling, standing in front of its shuttered window. The brass sconces on either side of it were left dark. This hadn't happened since her grandmother had died – and that had been years ago. The Ritty family had taken a week to mourn, and then it was back to the pharmacy for them. Business as usual. Or as close to "usual" as could possibly have been. Marina had been only seventeen at that time and hadn't even begun university yet. She had been eager to return to work. The pharmacy provided a sense of structure and normalcy. Because what was she without this place? It was good work and a good way to manage her grief.

Losing her grandmother had been difficult, but expected. There were no wandering questions, no desperate hopes, no "what-if's." There were long, sleepless nights of sadness, and then acceptance. This time was different. This time, Marina was lost in limbo.